Management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin City, has astronomically increased school fees payable by undergraduate (UG) students of the institution by over 100 Per cent.

Checks by METROWATCH on Tuesday night showed that the new fee regime for the institution located in Edo State, takes effect from the next 2022/2023 academic session.

Science students, who until now pay the sum of N73,400 as school fees per session, will henceforth pay N190,000; while fees for non-science students was increased from the current N69,900 to N170,000.

A breakdown of the new fee regime showed that while items such as ICT, Counseling, Accreditation, Sanitation and Certificate Screening were introduced into the list; charges for existing items such as Examination Fee, Laboratory Fees, Library/MTN Lib., Orientation Brochure, Sport, Utility, Bank Charges/Portal Charges and Student Union dues were simply increased.

It was, however, observed that fees for returning students for the current 2021/2022 academic session remain unchanged. While Science students pay N45,400, their non-science counterparts pay N41,400.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comment from Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Institution, Mrs Benedicta Adeola Ehanire, on the development, proved abortive.

But, President of the Institution’s Students Union, Mr Nmoye Israel, alias Cyano, in a post on social media, ascribed the fee to typographical error, while calling on students to remain calm as the “error” would be corrected.

However, an explanation offered on the website of the University saying the new price regime takes effect from the 2022/2023 academic session and does not affect returning students, contradicted Israel’s statement.

“Please note that all students admitted before the 2022/2023 session will continue to pay their earlier stated respective charge(i.e N45,400 for science and N41,400 for non-science students),” the statement published on the students’ portal of the University of Benin read.

According to the amended calender of the Institution, affected [new] students for the 2022/2023 academic session are expected in the halls of residence on July 2, while lectures are to commence on July 10.

Students kick

Meanwhile, students of the institution have kicked against the austronimcal increment of school fees, while calling for immediate reversal of the hike and threatening to occupy the streets.

Our correspondent observed that the students have since taken to social media to vent their anger against management of the institution and the Bola Tinubu led federal government.

Some believe that the new price regime may not be unconnected to the FG students loan recently signed into law by President Tinubu, where the federal government had hinted that it could no longer fund universities’ activities.

https://metrowatchxtra.com/2023/06/21/students-kick-as-uniben-increases-school-fees-by-over-100-per-cent-metrowatch/

Lala Seun Mynd44